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CDIA Draws up Plans to Improve Public Bus Services in Tbilisi

May 18, 2017

A more efficient, environment-friendly and sustainable urban mobility system can drive the City of Tbilisi in Georgia towards becoming a regional economic center; while ensuring a healthy living environment for its people.

This was the idea put forward in the recently completed Tbilisi Bus Network Study of CDIA that proposes concrete courses of action to improve the quality of the city’s bus network and introduce an efficient surface transit system in line with its Sustainable Urban Transport Strategy 2015-2030.

“Our aim is to help Tbilisi translate their strategies into actual projects by offering valuable information for city officials to make sound infrastructure investment decisions,” said Neil Chadder, CDIA’s Senior Urban Environmental Engineer.

In recent years, mobility conditions in the city have worsened due to high road congestion, increased car ownership, and poor quality of service of bus networks, among others. To address these, the in-depth study of CDIA completed six interrelated plan components covering: (i) mechanisms for bus restructuring and bus priority; (ii) multi-criteria analysis to select a rapid transit corridor; (iii) conceptual bus rapid transit (BRT) plan; (iv) conceptual tram plan; (v) comparison between BRT and tram; and (vi) a city-wide parking strategy.

To rationalize the bus network system, CDIA and local stakeholders identified a core network, to be supported by secondary and tertiary networks that will serve the urban areas and nearby villages. They further sought to integrate the bus network with other public transport modes, including the Metro system [which is also the subject of another ongoing CDIA study to modernize it]. Working with Tbilisi City Hall staff, CDIA prepared an outline design for bus prioritization on Petre Melikishvili Street Bus which is now being fast-tracked for implementation. The selected rapid transit corridor runs from Didi Digomi to Marjanishvili Square and will service key hospitals, business centers and civic amenities including the Dinamo Stadium. Various 3D images and videos were prepared to enable stakeholders to visualize the impact of the proposed systems on street life in the city. Click here to watch the video.

Of particular interest to the city government aside from the bus network improvement is the ten-point strategy proposed by CDIA to address the significant parking problems, which are exacerbating traffic congestion in the city.

The study was presented by CDIA consultants to local stakeholders, including City Mayor David Narmania, who was appreciative of its findings.

“Study results will help us to optimize bus routes, make whole process more efficient and at the same time reduce the traffic. It will make municipal transport system more flexible and effective. Based on today’s discussions, we will make decisions for public transport system’s future development,” said Dr. Narmania.

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